Last



June 3, 1952 u H. GULBRANDSEN v2,598,688

Patented June 3, 1952 `12,598,681; Lrlsrv Helge "'Gulbraldsen, Beverly,"hf-dass.,- fassig'nor `to United 'Slice Machinery' LCdrpcration,Flemingto'n, N. il 1., #ai corporatie'x1/TofA New .Jersey,Application-January 24, 1"9f50,seriarNo. 144x338 approximately fittizieinner face of lthein'sole, .at

least Iforward. of the "breast '.lin'e. Since "in usual repair'workshoesof many diierent'heel "heights Aare presented, it is desirable toprovide adjustment between the forepart portion o'fthelasti and 'theshank portion t'o accommodate "shoes 'having variousA heelh'eights'sin'ceotherwise alarge 'number-'of different lasts'wouldbereqired.

Objects of the presentinventionare to'p'ro'vide a `last/having aforepartandjshakportion relatively m'ovableab'out an'jaxiss extending'itransversely Yof the "shoe and located substantially atthe ball 'linelwhereby"thelast Vis self-'adapting tojt *shoes of Avarying heel heightsandY to `provid'efmeans dependent on applicatioropressure tothe last tohold 'the forepart'and s'haiikpor- 'tioiis ofthelas't against relativemovement;

Tlie illustrated device comprises a rigid body 'portionfwhi'ch "carries"a pres'surelreceiving meinib'er, said member being movable 'relativelyto the body fpor'tion.` jRem'ovably secured toAV the fbe'dy lportion'isa vplate Jshapedto substantially cover fthe-upper surface v"of "theforepart of' .theiiisole inside the shoe. To the.bodyfportioriat'theballYlinea"shank .plate` is 'pivoted so 'that vwhen .the la's't' is'placedin "a Vshoe 'W'i'ththe "forepart'ico- 'tact -With 'the "insole"the shank plate ".vv'll .drop automatically into Vc'oz'itacti'fwiththe' 'Sh'ahkpor- *tion-f thein'sole.' .Alinkis pivotedltofthe'shak platejatone "endg saidlink' being "supported 'below "by the Tvbody E portion'and' having its 'upper ,surface engaged by asurfac'eformed on Ltheabove- 2Ii1f`e1'1-tioned` ,pressure-'receiving' fmen'ber.' Thus, when`prejssures applied `to the pressure-receivigimemben the Ilinki's"securely held vairdjrrin/e- 'nientA o f the 'shank' plate "relativelytothe fore- Vpartplateis prevented. l r A Ef :ity is i desired "toincrease the `lokingeect, ai fp'or'tion" 0f 'the sides o'f theVlink,.ir'l'slteailof being vertical, may be inclined toward 'each otherin a,downward.directionreach side being inclined,sayatabout'tenidegreesfrm the vertical. Corresponding surfaces are.provided on the body portion whichengagetheinclined sides of the :sothat downward '.pressure -iapplie to ithe link will wedge it betweenthecorresporiding 'srfaces of the body portionand thelink -will be heldsecurely frornmovementl' v Aisingle shank plate isfsatlisfactory foria-'viiiiie 'range ofeshoesizes .but .theslforepart plate'sho'uld .libe1' interchangeable 4with different siztlplates "to-accommodate a runofshoe sizes. The'fore- 4part I plate is therefore lmade `readilyv'detachable A`7fron1 the body'portionL so that a proper sized'for'e--`partplate for the work Vin :hand maybe substitued. Usually three.forepart platesl of df- Ien v tlie "drawingsnFier. 1 isaside View ofthelast and'pressu'reapplying "device, va :shoe and resilient 4pad -rbeingshownin section, yand E'ig.- 2 lis a sectional view'taken onv the lineII-1II:df`Fig. -1.

The lastof -the`present invention is intended Fappl-ying device I2 which-may be of any usual construction, the pad 'I0 supporting the ksolefofashoe, and the device I2 'being operable toapply ido'wifiw'ard'Vpressure to `the last and force 'the shoe tagainst the pad lwith sufcentpressure'to :effect permanentcementeattachment of the sole to 'fthe"shoe Tliela-stcomprises-'a bodyportion I4 on which 'ris .a'Iportiruiyt6 fhav-inga flat lower-face lying in'la v*recess 'lin'tlie upper `sideof a'forepart plate I8, 'fs'aidiplatehaving theishapefo'ffthe forepartof the .finsole of'la shoe.

The fforepart 'plate I8 isdetach'ably fsecured to `the portion YI6 by ascrew 10i-threaded Itherein and *engaging la vforwardly '.open'slot inltheportion 1vII. Plates 'I8 of several :co'mmodate .la series of shoe`sizes and are prefferablyfthick= enough -at their peripheriesfto afford`support.=for the shoezupper.

enablefit tofaccommodate itself to, a shoe rhavingva -.high-heel.Whenvthe lastis-out of the:shmithe p1ate2f2will assume, lby gravity, aposition'z-in `which Ltheluefl engages the 1ug;28,=theplate22-being-.thenfin` substantial alinement withithe forepaztplate Ligasrequired byla shoe rhavingfno f h'eel. `Whenthe last isplaced in a shoe-With'fthe 'frepartplate l. I'B jin Contact '.with'the-forepartffof theinsole, the shank plate22 Iwill automatically assume a position .againstlthe shankA vportion o'ftlieA insole irrespective of vthe .angle thattheshank portion 'of the insole Vmakes with' the-forefpartjdf' the insjole,that is, irrespective ofv the height 'of the' jheel.

Pivotedfat 30 to theshankA plate"2f2isa link f3.2,

-:preferably curved from the pivo't2'4 'Las a' center, --thel 'and,534*1oii 'la pressure-receiving- -member '36` "which ower side oiwhichrests 'on 'the .bodyportion he Aupperside'ofl-w'hi'ch lieslmder asurface pivoted to the body portion at 38. The member 1 Dm ing a notch42 in the member 36, the notch being i large enough to permit thesurface 34 to engage has its movement about the pivot 38 limited by a 40seated in the body portion I4 and engagthe link 32 when the member 36receives'pr'essure. With this construction, when a last is placed in ashoe upon the pad Il with its forepart engaging the insole of the shoe,the shank plater22 will drop into contact with the shank portion of theinsole of any shoe, whatever its heel height, and when pressure isapplied bythe pressure-applyingdevice I2 tothe pressure-receivingelement36 its surface 34 will engage the 'in combination, a body portion, aforepart plate link, force it against the body portion and lock it, andhence the shank plate 22, against move- 1 ment.

The invention The lower portions of the sides of the link 32 each otherat 44 Fig. 2), each side being at an contemplates the provision of 1Vcylindrical engaging surfaces on the body porltion and link. However,in case a positive lock- 3 ing effect is desired, the arrangement shownmay 1 be provided in which the lower edge portion of Q the link V32 iswedge shaped and engages a corf respondingly shaped groove in the bodyportion.

ang-le of say ten degrees to the vertical, and cor c respondingoutwardly flaring surfaces may be l provided on the body portion I4 so'that when pressure is applied to the link its lower tapered portionwill be wedged between surfaces on the body portion, and the link 32positively'held from v movement under any pressure to which the last lis likely to be subjected.

For engaging the pressure-receiving ymember 36, the pressure-applyingdevice I2 isprovided with a foot 46 having a semi-cylindrical flange 48and a at face 58 to engage the member 36.

Thev ange .48 is received in a complementary .groove 52 formed in thelower end of the device I2 and is-held therein solely by a tensionspring 54 connected at its upper end to a pin 5,6 inlthe` device I2 andat the lower end to a pin 58 in the ange 48. The spring- 54 is locatedin bores, re-

spectively, in the device I2 and in the flange 48 which are sufficientlylarge to permit rocking ofV the foot 46 about the center of curvature ofthe flange aewhich lies substantiauy ,in the surface o f the foot sothat the foot can accommodate itself to various inclinations of thepressure-revsupported by the body portion and constructed and arrangedto receive pressure applied to the last for locking said plates againstmovement relatively to each other.

2. A last for repair work comprising, Vin combination, a body rportionaforepart plate ixed to the body portion, a shank plate pivoted to thebody portion about an axis located vsubstantially at the ball line ofthe last, and a member-'connected to the shank Iplate, supported bythebody portion and arranged to receive pressure applied to the last forholding the shank plate for movement'relatively to the forepart plateabout said axis. Y Y

secured to thebody portion, a shank plate pivoted to the body portion, alink curved from said pivot as a center, said link being pivoted to theshank plate, and means responsive to pressure applied to the last forholding said link.

5.V A last Vfor use in the cement-attachment of soles to Vshoes inrepair workcomprising, in combination, a forepart plate and a shankplate relatively movable aboutan axis located at the ball line ofthelast to render 4the plates self-conformable to the longitudinal contourof the Vinside of a shoe bottom, a body portion carrying said plates, amember on the body portion, movable with respect thereto, to whichpressure is applied, andV alink connected to one of said plates andsupported by the body portion, said member contacting said link andY:being adapted when pressure is applied thereto to lock said linkandhold the plate attached thereto from movement relatively to the otherplate.

6. A last for use in the cement-attachment of soles to shoes comprising,in combination, a forepartplate a shank plate freely movable relaltively to the forepart plate about an axis located at the ball line ofthe last,'the plates being thus conformable to the longitudinal contourof Vthe inside of the shoe bottom, a body portion carrying saidplates,'a pressure-receiving member, on the body ,portion movable withrespect thereto, and a link pivoted at one end to the shank plate andsupported by 'the Ybody portion, said member` engaging said link andbeing, adapted when pressure isapplied ,to lock the link and hold theshank plate from movement relatively to the forepart plate. i

7. A last for use in the cement-attachment of soles to shoes comprising,in combination, a forepart plate and a shank plate relatively movableabout an axislocated at the ball line rof the last to render the platesself-conformable -to the longitudinal contour of the inside .of a shoebottom, a body portioncarrying said plates, a movable memberon the bodyportion to which pressureisapplied, and a link connected to one of saidplates and supported by the body portion, said link and body portionhaving interengaging wedging surfaces, said movable member. engagingsaid link and acting when pressure is applied thereto to causeinterengagement of said surfaces to hold one plate from movementrelatively tothe other plate. Y 1

HELGE' GULBRANDSEN.

REFERENCES CITED. v

The following references are of record inv the le lof this patent: Y f fUNITED STATES PATENTS `Date

